


The Holiday

by prinecssleia (jensenackals)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, The Force Awakens - Fandom, The Last Jedi
Genre: Ben is a writer, F/M, Finn has a John Boyega accent, Inspired by my fav Christmas movie, Kylo Ren is a pen name, Leia and Han are Poe's neighbors, M/M, Poe Dameron Is A Mess, Present Day AU, The Holiday, bb-8 is the cutest dog on the planet, just in time for christmas, rey is a mechanical engineer, smut happens, this is pure selfishness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-08-07 23:57:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16418516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jensenackals/pseuds/prinecssleia
Summary: Poe Dameron has everything, but when his girlfriend dumps him out of the blue, he decides to take a long overdue vacation over Christmas. Finding a charming cottage in the English countryside he swaps houses for two weeks, thinking its going to be the last place on earth he will have to deal with romance.Rey needs to get out of town. After a horrible week at work and on complete impulse, she books a stay for two weeks on a house swap website with a man she has never met before. But through the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, and with the help of her charming neighbors, Rey finds out that the world has a lot to offer outside her quiet English village.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hi. i do not own anything and i make no money. all characters and story are owned by lucasfilm and columbia pictures.

 

The lobby of the London engineering firm was packed full of people. 

Trying not to spill her drink, Rey weaved through the crowd toward the temporary stage. She'd spent half the night absent-mindedly listening to the conversations around her, and the other half nervously chewing her cuticles. 

Choosing the Niima Aviation Christmas party to announce the newest Design Team Lead wouldn’t have been Rey’s first choice, but Plutt had insisted. Unkar Plutt insisted on a lot of things. Insisted she work for his firm after graduating top of her class at University. Insisted she spend at least two years as an analyst before taking on her own projects. Insisted she put in hours and hours of overtime if she wanted to be taken seriously in this business.

The man was ruthless, but brilliant.

In the engineering community, Niima Aviation was one of the most remarkable businesses to come out of London in years. Able to design and build beautifully crafted aeronautics, they were on the cutting edge of every industry trend. Sometimes even introducing the trends themselves. She supposed that was how an operation their size had gotten one of the biggest accounts in the city.

A few people Rey recognized from accounting waved her over and Rey joined them, thinking it would better than standing in the middle of the dance floor by herself. She smiled and nodded along with their gossip but let her gaze wander around the room. Strands of lights, hanging from the atrium ceiling, twinkled festively as the band played a jazzy version of ‘Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.’ The decor and trees had been up since the middle of November, but the group of people congregating in green sweaters and red ties made it feel more like Christmas.

Rey had never put much effort into the holidays. Being an orphan will do that to you.

She never had presents from Santa or a big family dinner... the most she had in the way of traditions was the annual splurge on a good bottle of wine she split with Finn every Christmas Eve.

Out of the corner of her eye, Rey saw Plutt waddle his way up the steps and her stomach did a backflip. This was it. All of her hard work was finally paying off.

She hadn’t officially been offered the position, but everyone knew Rey was going to get it. Her first draft designs for the project had far outdone anything that her co-workers had submitted, even her direct supervisor had said Rey deserved the job. She might not be the most experienced, she would most certainly be the youngest Team Lead by a decade. But in the last year, Rey had completed more projects than anyone in her department, bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars in custom design work for the firm. 

Plutt cleared his throat into the microphone as the jazz band finished their tune. “Happy Christmas!” He called drunkenly to the crowd and everyone raised their drinks, smiling and laughing at their tipsy boss.

“What a year it’s been,” Plutt chortled jovially, his rotund belly bouncing with every laugh. “You all have been very good to me, so I’d like to return the favor.”

Most of the crowd looked around curiously at that. Plutt wasn’t well known for his generosity.

“Hey Marsha-” Plutt shouted out over the sea of people, pointing at the wizened HR Director. “Can you add another thousand pounds to everyone’s Christmas Bonus?”

The Niima Aviation employees all called out in unison, cheering and applauding. The poor woman just rolled her eyes and nodded, smiling in spite of the extra paperwork she’d just been given.

Plutt grinned. “Cheers, Marsha!”

“Cheers!” Rey called out to the people next to her, clinking her wine glass with a few.

“At this time,” Plutt continued as the chatter died down. “I’d like to introduce our new point man for the Carmichael Project-” A soft grin crept over Rey’s face and she took a deep breath to steady her racing heart.

“Tito Spencer!” Plutt bellowed with a loud guffaw. “Get up here Tito!”

Rey’s stomach dropped, her mouth falling open in shock as Tito bounded up the stairs and shook Plutt's hand. The roaring in her ears became deafening, she could see Plutt still speaking but the sounds around her were drowned out in her rising rage. 

Tito? _Bloody Tito!?_

She turned quickly and began to fight her way through the mess of people. The lump in the back of her throat made it difficult to swallow and her heart began pounding like it was trying to beat out of her chest. Miraculously, she made it to the side door exit without bursting into tears in front of the entire firm.

This wasn’t happening. Couldn’t be happening. Rey had spent five and half years busting her ass at this company. She was the first one in the office every morning and the last one to leave every night. She worked more hours than the rest of her team combined. She had developed groundbreaking prototypes that would be put into production next quarter. She tested and retested every design, vetting her own work to phase out any and all design flaws. She had done everything Plutt had ever asked of her, and more. She was supposed to be rewarded for her hard work.

Not passed over in favor of Tito.

The grip on her wine glass tightened and it took everything in her power not to smash it between her fingers.

Screw the Christmas Party. Rey was going home.

 

***

 

“And then,” Poe chatted happily. “Next month I’ll be in DC for the inauguration!”

The Porsche hummed as Poe guided the car to a stop at the red light. They had just finished up their traditional Friday night date but Kaydel hadn’t said much all evening. Even now, she was staring out of the darkly tinted windows, her eyes reflecting the Christmas lights strung up in the palm trees.

“Hey,” Poe asked, grabbing her free hand. “Are you okay?”

Kaydel let out a deep sigh before turning in her seat to face him. Her eyes were sad. “I think we should break up.”

Poe sat stunned, “What?”

The car behind them honked as the light turned green but Poe didn’t notice.

“What do you mean, break up?”

“I mean break up-” Kaydel said, gently pulling her hand free of his. “I’m sorry, but this just isn’t what it used to be. We fight all the time and you're always gone for work-”

“I can take time off,” He stammered as the person in the car behind them began yelling. More honks sounded.

“Will you drive,” Kaydel pleaded, looking behind her at the dozen cars now waiting.

Poe sped up, still too stunned to process what was happening. They had been together for almost a year. He thought Kaydel understood that his job required him to be away from home. Thought she enjoyed her independence. Thought she loved him enough to make it work.

“Look,” She murmured and Poe noticed a stray tear fall down her cheek. “I want to get married and start a family soon. I want to be with someone who is going to be around when our kids are growing up-”

Poe was finding it difficult to breath around the pressure building behind his eyes.

“And I love you,” Kaydel’s voice cracked slightly and Poe’s grip tightened on the steering wheel. “But that’s not you.”

He cleared his throat roughly. “It could be.”

Kaydel gave him a wistful smile as he pulled into her condo complex. “God, I wish it was. But you and I both know you're never going to stop flying.”

Poe swallowed thickly and brought the car to a stop outside Kaydel’s unit. She leaned across the console and gave him a tearful peck on the cheek.

“I'm sorry,” Kaydel wiped her face with the back of her hand before clamoring out of the car and up the front walk.

Poe waited until Kaydel was inside and her porch light turned off before muttering to the now empty car. “Me too..”

 

***

 

The shrill whistle of the kettle could barely be heard over the pounding music playing in the den. Rey was sitting at her drafting table and had yet to come up with something that she hadn’t been chucked straight in the bin.

Her latest design for a repulsor engine sat halfway finished and Rey resisted the urge to rip it into a thousand pieces. It had been hours, but Plutt’s email was still fresh in her mind.

 

**Rey,**

**I didn’t get a chance to speak with you at the party. I hope you understand why I went with Tito to lead the Carmichael Project. While you have an impressive resume, Tito has been with the company for over two decades. In this instance I need experience more than I need ideas.**

**See you Monday,**

**Unkar Plutt**

 

It had taken everything she had not to reply back.

Instead she emailed HR and her supervisor, letting them know she would be taking the next two weeks off.

Rey never used her vacation days, never had reason to go anywhere. But now she thought some time away from the office might do her some good. She needed time to think. Plutt was right, she did have an impressive resume. The only reason she had continued with Niima Aviation was the promise to one day lead her own project. But now…

What was stopping her from taking her ideas elsewhere? There were other firms in the city who would be glad to have her experience. Might even pay her better too.

Padding to the kitchen in her wool socks, Rey poured another cup of tea and glanced at the clock.

It was four in the morning.

Rey groaned and sat down in front of her laptop. The screen blinked to life, her background of a palm tree on a sandy white beach greeting her cheerfully. She’d never been to the beach in her life, but she’d kept the stock background anyway. Almost as a reminder that the world was a lot bigger than London, England.

An idea started taking form in the back of her mind and she turned her music off in a haste. She had two weeks off from work and an extra thousand pounds in her bank account.

What if she did go to the beach?

It was incredibly rash and extremely impulsive but Rey didn’t care. She pulled up her browser and immediately began searching vacation rentals.

 

***

 

Poe threw his keys on the counter and put BB-8 out in the yard before collapsing on the sofa.

Wallowing wasn’t in his nature but just this once, he let himself feel the hurt. His whole body felt bruised, or like he'd been put through a meat grinder.

He’d really cared about Kaydel. Just like he’d cared about Nic before her. And Tallie before that.

Maybe he was just destined to be alone. Doomed to a life of solitude. He’d be the guy down at beachside park feeding the pigeons. He’d have nothing to do and no one to do it with. His only concrete plans would be Sunday night cards at the Solos.

He supposed that wouldn’t be so bad. They were basically family anyway.

His computer beeped once with an incoming message but Poe ignored it, electing instead to pull one of his throw pillows over his face and groan into it loudly.

BB-8 barked at the back door and pulled him out of his depressive stupor. Grumbling half heartedly about the dog waking up the neighborhood, his attention was once again pulled back to his computer, which had now beeped at least three times in the last minute.

After dumping a cup of food in BB-8’s bowl, he sat down at his desk and was surprised to see several chat notifications from the vacation rental site he used.

 

**Rey: I’m interested in renting your house this Christmas. Is it by any chance still available? My arrival dates are pretty flexible but it would be through December 30th.**

**Rey: I’m sorry, I know it’s ridiculously late notice.**

**Rey: If the house is available and you are at all interested please feel free to contact me.**

 

Poe immediately began typing. If this worked out, Rey would be an absolute life saver. He hadn’t had a vacation in ages, plus he wouldn’t have to deal with being alone at Christmas. Again. 

 

**Poe: I’m very interested! But the house is really only available for home exchange.**

 

He hoped that wouldn’t be a deal breaker.

 

**Rey: Home exchange? What is that?**

**Poe: We switch houses, cars, everything. I’ve only done it a few times but it’s a lot of fun.**

**Poe: Where are you?**

 

“Please say somewhere far away.” Poe pleaded to the ceiling.

 

**Rey: Surrey. Just outside London.**

 

Poe thought it over for a moment. He could do Surrey. Hole up in a house somewhere. Watch the snow fall. Drink a bunch of tea.

 

**Poe: Sounds Idyllic.**

**Rey: I’m Rey by the way. 26. Very normal. Healthy. Non-Smoker.**

**Poe: I’m Poe. Also very normal. 33. Dog-owner. Neat freak. Single.**

 

He let out a loud huff as he typed the last word.

 

**Rey: Hi!**

 

Poe laughed.

 

**Poe: Hi.**

**Rey: I have to say your house looks amazing. I’ve never been to California.**

**Poe: Really? Thanks. What is your place like?**

**Rey: I have a cottage in the countryside just outside Tadworth. It’s nice -- but a little smaller than yours.**

**Poe: Not hard to be. I inherited this place from my parents.**

 

The sentence stung. It’d been almost fifteen years but just talking about his parents brought back that horrible day. He’d only been eighteen when he’d gotten the call-

The computer beeped and Poe directed his attention back to their conversation.

 

**Rey: Can I ask you one thing?**

**Poe: Of course.**

**Rey: How far are you from the beach?**

 

Poe thought to himself. He wasn’t really a beach guy, it’d been at least a year since he made the walk down the path to the ocean.

 

**Poe: Ten minute walk?**

 

He guessed and was met by an immediate response.

 

**Rey: When can I come??**

 

He grinned and tried to think how fast he could get a flight to England.

 

**Poe: Tomorrow too soon?**

**Rey: Tomorrow is perfect!**

 

Poe stretched his hands over his head and grinned. This couldn't have worked out better. He knew he would have to deal with his break-up eventually, but delaying the inevitable for two weeks sounded fantastic.

 

**Poe: Okay! We are on, for two weeks starting tomorrow! I’ll email you the details about the gate and the spare keys. Are you okay to watch my dog? If not I can have him kenneled.**

**Rey: Won't be a problem! I love dogs.**

 

*******

 

Rey was in line at airport security and had yet to get a hold of Finn. To be fair, it was still before eight in the morning but she had hoped to speak to him before boarding. His voicemail played cheerfully for the third time and Rey finally decided to leave a message. 

"Hi Finn, I did something kind of crazy last night. I hope you understand, but I just needed to get out of town, you know? I think I need some peace and quiet. Or whatever it is people go away for. I really just want to do something I've never done, see something I've never seen- I want to read a book! Not just an engineering magazine, an actual book. I don't think I've read a book in years. Anyways, I'm rambling. I'll be boarding soon but please call me back."

She cut the call as the airport security officer motioned her forward.

Once she found her gate, Rey meandered through the terminal looking for a book shop. An eleven hour flight seemed like a great time to accomplish goal number one. 

Read an actual book.

She found an airport equivalent of a Tesco's and ducked inside, dragging her carry-on with the broken wheel behind her. On her way to the book section, Rey grabbed a pack of gummy worms and a bottled water. She was growing quite nervous as her boarding time approached. For someone who designed planes, she'd only flown twice in her life. Both when she had been too young to really remember it. 

And now she was taking off across the atlantic on a whim.

Finn would never believe it.

She was secretly glad she hadn't caught him on the phone earlier. She was bailing on Christmas Eve. It was their night, their tradition. Rey knew he would be disappointed.  And that alone was enough temptation to march back down to the ticket counter and cancel her flight.

Rey let out a long sigh. Standing in front of the shelves of books was a little overwhelming. Rey had no idea what genre she would even like. She loved movies. Specifically, movies about love. The ones with the happy endings. But how was she to know which book had a happy ending?

She decided to start with the bestseller shelf. There were a few biographies and a really thick book about Churchill, which she passed over. Then there were the novels, a few romance covers which seemed to promise heavy breathing and bulging biceps. They were tempting, but Rey reminded herself to try something new. 

A small black book that was tucked away on the far right caught her eye.

 _Let the Past Die_ by Kylo Ren.

It seemed like part sci-fi, part murder mystery. Reading the brief synopsis on the back, Rey made her decision. It sounded dark and intense, but intriguing just the same.

She set the book on the counter, along with her water and gummy worms and paid the clerk.

Feeling ready for an actual adventure, Rey readjusted her bag on her shoulder and headed toward her gate. In less than twelve hours she would be in California.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [here is bb-8 as a dog](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c9/a6/70/c9a670d7d7f548bfa6e404312214e068.jpg)
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> btw this is going to be one of those romance stories that promises heavy breathing and bulging biceps. thanks for reading! just so yall know, comments are super motivating and much appreciated. so if you want fast updates leave lots of comments. 
> 
> you can also find me on [tumblr](http://prinecssleia.tumblr.com/) and bug me about etas <33


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lets meet our love interests

The taxi made its way quickly down the one lane road. This region was expecting a blizzard that evening and the snow had just started as the car made its way through the thin trees. More than once, Poe had been tempted to ask the cabbie to slow down, the slush making the drive a little more treacherous than it needed be. 

His flight had been uneventful, after sending a quick email to Governor Holdo that he would be out of the country for the next couple weeks, Poe had promptly fell asleep. And stayed asleep the entire flight. Surprising himself, when he’d awoken with a start as they touched down at Heathrow airport. It was strange, Poe never slept on flights. Usually because he was the one flying the plane, but still.

He was grateful his brain had shut off for a little while, it had kept his mind off of Kaydel at least.

The drive to the countryside was equally uneventful, the traffic in London was nothing compared to a bad day in Los Angeles. However, once they’d gotten off the expressway, the scenery had been picturesque. Snow covered hills, dotted with little sheep farms. Hundred year old trees, curling up and over frozen creeks. A one room church on every deserted street corner.

Poe couldn’t believe this little village was right outside the city.

And it was definitely a _village_. The main street had been three blocks long, lined with lamp posts and little shops that looked like something out of a postcard. The trees were decked out with wreaths and all the shops had twinkling lights in the windows.

It was what Christmas should feel like. Fresh snow on every building and sidewalk, red and green decorations everywhere you looked, people wearing thick coats and scarfs as they finished up their shopping. Everything was downright cheerful and Poe couldn’t help but hate it just a little bit.

How dare this tiny town be happy when he was so goddamn miserable.

The cab slowed then came to a precarious stop and Poe looked around in confusion. “This can’t be it?” He asked hastily, looking out his window at the smallest cemetery he’d ever seen.

“No, sir,” The driver said politely. “It’s just up that hill, but there isn’t a driveway. Think you can manage from here?”

Poe rolled his eyes. Of course an English country cottage wouldn’t have a driveway. That was much too 20th century.

Stepping out of the car into the snow, he was immediately met with a blast of cold wind and he pulled his jacket a little tighter around him. The cabbie pulled his bags from the trunk and Poe handed him a few bills to cover the fare and a little extra for driving so far out of town.

“Cheers, mate!” The driver called happily as he jumped back in the car.

There was a low stone wall surrounding the property and Poe walked along it until he found the gate. Snow flurries caught in his eyelashes as he squinted into the wind. Next to the gate was an old sign staked in the ground that read  _The Outpost._

His phone buzzed in his pocket before he could decipher the meaning of it. Smiling at the caller ID he swiped at the screen quickly. “Evening, Senator.”

“Poe, stop calling me that.” Leia said sternly. “I’ve been retired for over a year.”

“Sorry, Senator.” Poe grunted through a grin as he began the hike up to the stone house. “Force of habit.”

He could actually hear Leia rolling her eyes but she changed the subject. “Amilyn said you went away for Christmas.”

“Yeah,” Poe said awkwardly. He probably should have told Leia himself. She had invited him and Kaydel over for Christmas Dinner, after all. “England, actually.”

“What on earth,” Leia’s voice went up an octave. “Are you doing in England?”

Poe closed his eyes and took a steadying breath. “Kaydel and I broke up. The Governor was taking the holidays off so I thought I’d try a vacation..”

“Oh, Poe honey-” The pity in her voice made him grind his teeth. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’ll be alright.”

“Poe you flew halfway across the world after a break up. I’m not sure that qualifies as _alright_.”

He let out a quick laugh at her astute observation and then scrunched his nose in guilt. “I’m sorry for leaving you alone like this over the holidays.”

Leia’s scoff was as effective over the phone as it would have been in person. “Don’t worry about me. Ben’s in town and Han will be home tomorrow.”

Poe still felt bad. “Will you swing by and check on BB-8 for me? And you should probably meet Rey, she’ll be your neighbor for the next two weeks.”

“Of course,” Leia chuckled. “I hope she’s nicer than the last jackass who rented your house.”

Poe grinned at the memory. “He offered me double, how could I say no?”

They talked for a few more minutes, mostly about where Poe was staying and what he was planning on doing for two weeks in the English countryside. He asked about Christmas dinner, what Leia was planning on cooking. Everything sounded like Han and Ben’s favorites.

Poe gave her a quick farewell, promising to call and wish her a Merry Christmas, as he arrived at the front steps of the house. Shoving his phone into his back pocket, he looked around curiously. It didn’t really look like a cottage. It looked more like a fortress. Or a miniature castle.

It was a two story stone structure, complete with a turret and what looked like an observation deck on the roof. Poe let out a disbelieving laugh.

The key was under the front mat, just as promised, and he let himself in the front door. His jaw dropped as he took in the front room.

Everything was stone. The floors, the staircase, the ceiling, even the plaster covering walls had the silhouette of rock underneath. Dropping his bags unceremoniously, Poe began to walk room to room, taking in the house.

Directly through the entry way was a sort of living area. A threadbare couch lined one wall and an antique armoire, holding an old box tv, was on the other. Next to the fireplace was a tall desk that Poe recognized as a drafting table, above it was a large window that looked out onto the snow covered hills in the distance. A plush looking breakfast nook had been built into the circular room next to the kitchen, which was complete with a gas stove and multi-colored cabinets.

Poe continued his exploration upwards and found a makeshift laundry room, a modest sized bedroom with a vaulted ceiling and wood beams, and then the bathroom. It had the smallest vanity he had ever seen, a pink porcelain toilet and a bathtub without a shower head.

“That’ll be interesting,” he muttered to himself.

There seemed to be a fireplace in every room and Poe wondered if that was his only source of heat. It seemed likely, especially considering this structure had to have been here for hundreds of years. How had they even added electricity? And running water?

Unpacking his bags quickly, Poe added a sweater to his ensemble before shoving his suitcases under the bed. Rey had said there was a car in the shed on back end of her property and he fully intended to use it.

There had been a quaint looking pub in the middle of town that promised good food and strong liquor. Which was perfect, because Poe needed a drink.

 

***

 

California was nothing like the movies.

It was better.

Rey put the window down as soon as they’d left the airport, relishing the warmth of the sun and the salty ocean breeze on her face. Palm trees and flowering bushes she'd didn't know the name of, flashed past the car as they sped north toward the Malibu coastline. Rey felt like all she'd done on the hour drive was stare with her mouth agape.

On one side of the road, beach houses climbed high up into the desert cliffs. And on the other, stretched out for miles and miles, was the Pacific Ocean. The sheer expanse of it was intoxicating and Rey couldn’t tear her eyes away. Waves crashed, rolling in on themselves as the cab travelled further and further up the coast. Rey didn’t think she had ever seen anything so beautiful.

That was until they pulled into the neighborhood.

Rey’s eyes went wide as mansion after mansion passed by. London had its fair share of ridiculous housing but this was a whole different type of architecture.

Where England was historic and preservationist, these houses were modern and _sprawling_. Built into the cliffs to overlook the ocean; balconies, windows and patios stretched out trying to catch a glimpse of the water, each house trying to outdo its neighbor by size and beauty.

When the cab stopped in front of a large black gate, Rey let out a soft curse and double checked the address she’d written down in her notebook.

She’d seen the pictures online, but it _did not_ do the house justice. Paying the cab driver quickly, she grabbed her bags and stood just outside the garden walls, too stunned to move.

“ _Holy shit,_ ” She swore again.

A loud bark sounded from just inside the yard and Rey remembered the dog. What had Poe called him? BB-8?

She punched in the gate code and dragged her bags into the front courtyard. She was greeted by a tan and white Australian Shepherd, barking and bouncing around happily.

“Hi buddy,” Rey extended her hand for him to sniff. Which he did quickly, followed by a sloppy kiss and another loud bark.

Fishing the spare keys out of the mailbox, Rey let herself in, BB-8 charging in behind her. The first thing she noticed were the windows. Floor to ceiling glass, overlooking the desert bluff that led down to the beach and nothing but blue sky spanning the horizon.

It was breathtaking.

The next thing she noticed was the decor. Everything was either a dark walnut or a pure crisp white. Spinning in place in the entryway, Rey let out a peel of laughter. Why on earth had it taken her so long to take a vacation?

Not able to help herself, Rey ran from room to room, giggling like an idiot at every new surprise.

The living room was basically a home theater. With the biggest flat screen tv she had ever seen and a couch so elegant, Rey almost didn’t want to sit on it. Afraid to spoil the perfect way the pillows were arranged.

She moved onto the kitchen next. Stainless steel appliances sat sparkling between the walnut cabinets and she ran around the large kitchen island twice, for good measure. Rey wasn’t much of a cook, but she might try, just for the sake of using the gigantic stove.

Running down the hall, she barked out a laugh as she passed a massive formal dining room and a fully stocked home gym.

Then she found the back patio.

“Oh my god.” She muttered under her breath. Sunk into the cement was a crisp blue swimming pool. Upon further inspection, Rey realized it was actually built into the cliffs, one side of it spilling over towards the ocean.

 _The ocean_.

Rey stood mesmerized for several long moments. Deep blue water stretched out beneath her, as far as the eye could see. She couldn't believe she was here. She was actually here.

Hurrying back through the house, Rey lugged her bags down the hall into the master bedroom. Taking a brief moment to appreciate the view from the large sliding glass doors, she unzipped her suitcase hastily and grabbed a pair of shorts.

In no time at all, she had changed, grabbed a leash for BB-8 and was heading down the path that led to the beach.

 

***

 

Twilight had settled over the quiet street as Poe ducked into the pub. A soft bell chimed as the door swung shut behind him and he stomped his boots roughly to get the lingering snow off.

The place was packed and he shuffled his way through the small crowd to find a seat at the bar. Plopping down heavily on a stool, he gripped the counter to steady his shaking hands. He was definitely in need of a drink now.

Driving had been… an experience.

The car was actually pretty cool, a Saab 900 that looked like it’d been recently rebuilt. The only problem was that he’d had to drive on the wrong side of the road... and the wrong side of the car. 

One half of the pub exploded in a roar of cheering around a tiny television and Poe assumed there must be some sort of soccer game going on. Flagging down the bartender he ordered a something stiff.

“You American?” The guy asked, recognizing Poe’s accent. “What brings you to Tadworth?”

“I’m staying here for a couple weeks on vacation-” He yelled over the ruckus.

The bartender laughed. He had a handsome face that lit up when he grinned. Poe caught himself smiling as well.

“You staying at the inn?”

“No,” Poe lowered his voice now that the shouting seemed to have died down.  “At a house up the hill. I think it’s called the Outpost..”

The bartender gave him a disbelieving look. “Rey’s place?”

“Yeah!” Poe exclaimed. “We switched houses for a couple weeks. She’s in California at my place and I’m here..”

The guy’s mouth snapped shut in surprise. “That’s not possible. Rey never goes anywhere.”

Poe laughed awkwardly and another customer shouted at the opposite end of the bar.

“Hang on-” The guy motioned for Poe to wait while he went to take care of the other patrons. He sat eating pretzels from a carved wooden bowl and watched the soccer game without really paying attention. Poe’s gaze occasionally lingered on the attractive bartender. He was well built, tall with perfect dark skin and dark eyes. And when he laughed at an old guy at the end of the bar, Poe’s stomach did a backflip.

Then he reminded himself he was just getting out of a committed relationship and lusting after a stranger might not be the healthiest course of action.

Poe tipped his drink back and downed it in one gulp. The whiskey burned his tongue and throat but warmed his blood, the feeling finally returning to his fingers and toes.

“Rey did ring me this morning, I didn’t have a chance to get back to her.” The bartender's shoulders slumped as pulled a few liquor bottles down from a shelf. “Oh, I feel awful now..”

Chewing on a piece of ice, Poe gave him a sympathetic look.

“What’s your name, then?” The guy asked, pouring shots into a cocktail shaker and tossing it between his hands.

“I’m Poe. Poe Dameron.”

Wiping his palm on a bar rag, the guy extended his hand.  “I’m Finneas Ndulue Adebayo.”

The soccer fans were cheering again and Poe didn’t quite catch all of what he said.

“Finneas Ndu-” He stammered. “Is that all one word?”

“No!” The bartender laughed.

“I’m going to call you Finn, is that alright?” Poe asked, giving the bartender his most charming smile.

“Everyone does.”

They shook hands briefly, Finn setting a drink in front of Poe’s now empty glass. “This one’s on the house.”

“Thanks,” Poe’s smiled widened. “How do you know Rey?”

“She’s basically my sister. We were in the system together.”

Poe furrowed his brow in confusion.

“You know,” Finn explained. “The foster system? We’ve been together since we were fourteen.”

Poe nodded, not knowing what to say and Finn was pulled back to his other patrons again.

“Enjoy the drink!” He called before scrambling to take a list of orders from what looked like a bachelorette party.

 

***

 

What surprised Rey the most was the sound. The roar of the waves crashing was deafening in the most pleasant way possible.

They had been sitting in the sand for at least an hour, Rey basking in the sunshine with BB-8 relaxing next to her. The book she’d bought in the airport lay abandoned in her lap, Rey preferring to watch the few surfers out in the water attempt to catch a wave.

Letting out a deep sigh, she relaxed a little further back on her elbows. She was going to have a sunburn, but she didn’t care. She could pick up some aloe this evening if she really needed it, and she should probably get some sunscreen for tomorrow.

Because she was definitely coming back tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that...

BB-8 perked up next to her and Rey watched as the dog stood, wagging his non-existent tail at a woman who was walking toward them. She had soft brown hair that looked to be graying and a knowing smile playing at the edges of her lips.

“You must be Rey,” She called cheerfully, giving BB-8 a generous scratch behind the ears. Rey stood cautiously, wondering how this woman knew her, but the woman explained before Rey could ask. “I’m Poe’s neighbor, he said you’d be staying at his place over the holidays.”

“Oh, sure-” Rey stammered, extending her hand. “It's very nice to meet you.”

“I’m Leia.” She had wonderful, rich brown eyes that sparked playfully. “What part of England are you from?”

“London,” Rey smiled brightly.

“Oh, I love London.” Leia gushed. “Of course I spent most of my time on Downing Street, but my husband and I got to explore the city a few times.”

Rey was temporarily dazed by how nonchalantly Leia spoke of working in the official offices of the Prime Minister. She blinked a few times before recovering, hoping Leia didn't find her rude for staring.

“I’m headed back up,” Leia gestured toward the private path that lead to the neighborhood. “Care to join me?”

“Oh-” Rey stuttered surprised. She had planned on staying until dark but she supposed meeting a neighbor could take precedent. “Sure, let me just get my things.”

She gathered up her book and blanket before looping BB-8’s leash around her wrist.

“What are you reading?” Leia asked, eyeing the spine curiously.

Rey tilted the cover so Leia could see it better. “Just something I picked up in the airport.”

Leia smiled mischievously. “How do you like it?”

“Umm,” Rey wasn’t really sure how to answer, but after a moment, she just decided to be honest. “Well, it’s actually sort of awful.”

Leia laughed loudly at that and Rey found herself giggling along side her. Though, she wasn’t sure what was so funny.

“I’m sure the writing and everything is very good but-” Rey added quickly, trying to find the right words to describe the story.

“Go on,” Leia encouraged, still grinning.

“It’s just so-” Rey hesitated. “So gruesome, like truly shocking at times, and very twisted.”

"I understand," Leia patted her arm sympathetically. “I don’t read to be stressed out.”

“No, me either.” Rey said through a grin.

They hiked up the path, chatting comfortably as BB-8 led the way. Rey discovered Leia had been a U.S. Senator, which explained the Downing Street comment, and that her husband was a pilot. They had one son, though Poe was also like family and had been even before his parents died. Rey felt a little burst of sympathy for the man who had swapped houses with her. She knew what it was like to be alone in the world. 

Leia asked her about her work and Rey explained she was an engineer. This opened up a whole multitude of questions that Leia said she'd need to report back to her husband about, so Rey obliged. She explained some of the projects she had worked on, as well as some engines she had been designing in her free time. Leia was a very apt listener and seemed to know a good deal about flying.

Rey was just about to go off on a tangent about jet fuel being inconsequential in the next five years, when she noticed the older woman’s face had grown quite pink and her breathing was labored.

“Are you alright?” Rey asked carefully, not wanting to offend her new neighbor.

Leia waved her off. “I just overdid myself today, is all.”

They continued down the street but their pace had slowed considerably and Rey was worried if Leia kept going she might collapse.

“We can stop for a little while..” Rey offered quietly and Leia nodded, reaching out a hand so Rey could help her sit on the curb. “Should I fetch someone?" Rey babbled nervously, "Or maybe a glass of water?”

“No, no.” Leia insisted. She did look a little better now that she was sitting, but still very flushed. “I just need a few minutes.”

They had only been resting for a few short moments when Rey heard a deep voice call out from a few houses down. Rey turned and saw an extremely tall guy with shaggy, dark hair hurrying toward them. 

“Mom!?" He shouted again, jogging quickly now. "Are you okay?"

“I’m fine, Ben.” Leia said exasperatedly.

“You don’t look fine.” He spat, sounding panicked. Now that he was closer, Rey noticed his dark eyes matched his mother’s, but the resemblance stopped there. He had a long face that was offset by an aquiline nose and an attractive mouth. Her eyes lingered at the way his hair curled gently away from his face..

Rey blinked a few times and tore her gaze away from the stranger, focusing her attention back on Leia.

“You know you aren’t supposed to go off by yourself,” the man called Ben said through clenched teeth. He seemed like he was barely containing his anger.

“I’m not by myself,” Leia said, gesturing for Ben to help her up. “I’m with Rey.”

“I see that,” Ben said rudely, but helped his mother stand before rounding on Rey. “Who the hell are you?”

Rey's lips parted in surprise at his horrible manners.

“Ben!” His mother scolded. “Don’t be impolite.”

"Oh, excuse my profanity," He said sarcastically, more for his mother's benefit than for Rey's. "But, who are you?"

“This is Rey,” Leia said, rolling her eyes. “She is staying at Poe’s place while he's away on vacation.”

“Poe doesn’t go on vacations.” Ben said stubbornly.

“Well, he did. I spoke to him this morning.” Leia took a few hesitant steps back toward their houses and Ben hovered behind her, keeping his arms out just in case she needed help. It would have been touching, if the guy hadn’t been so rude.

“Rey, honey-” Leia called over her shoulder. “Would you like to come over for dinner tonight? I’d love to hear more about London.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Rey fumbled for an excuse, her grip tightening on the leash. “I’d hate to be an imposition.”

“It’s no trouble at all.” Leia smiled widely.

Rey couldn’t very well refuse her. “That sounds lovely.”

“Perfect!” And if it was possible, Leia’s smile grew even wider. “See you at eight.”

Rey walked the rest of the way on the opposite side of the street, letting mother and son bicker quietly. She was walking up the driveway when their conversation drifted over the fence between their yards.

“I thought I was coming over for dinner tonight?” asked Ben indignantly.

“You know Ben," Leia said through a laugh. "Meeting new people isn’t going to kill you.”

He scoffed. “It might.”

 

***

 

Snow had begun falling in earnest now, Poe could see it through the foggy windows. He had no idea what time it was, but judging by the steady stream of people leaving the pub it had to be close to closing.

Poe was still sitting at the bar, though the handsome bartender had already finished his shift. Finn had joined a table of people in the other corner of the room and was laughing along with his group of friends happily. Poe was wallowing again, could feel the lump in chest growing heavier and heavier as the night wore on. There had been a girl walk into the pub about an hour earlier who wore her hair in the same double buns that Kaydel sometimes had. Since then, his mood had grown steadily more sour.

Trying to pull himself together enough to actually enjoy his first night of vacation was going to be a tall order. Thinking he should probably be at his residence before having another drink, Poe drained the last of his watered down whisky and stood to leave. Maybe Rey had some liquor stashed somewhere in her castle that he could raid. Throwing a few bills on the bar, he turned toward the door, only to be intercepted by a towering woman with shocking blonde hair and breath that reeked of cranberry vodka.

“Where do you think your going?” She asked suggestively and then swayed on the spot. If she wasn’t so drunk, she might have been intimidating.

“Excuse me,” Poe said politely and tried to duck past her, but she step in front of him once more.

“You’re coming with me.” She slurred, pointing a finger at Poe’s chest.

“Uhh-” Poe muttered, trying not to laugh.

“Ready to go Poe?” A voice called from behind him and Poe was shocked to see Finn walking toward him. Looking between him and the blonde suspiciously, Poe wondered if the bartender was in on whatever this was.

Finn clapped Poe on the back in a friendly gesture and directed them toward the exit.

“If you do exactly as I say,” Finn muttered under his breath. “I can get you out of here.”

“What?” Poe spat, taken aback.

Finn smiled over his shoulder at the woman still standing stunned at the bar. “This is a rescue.” He said through a grin. “I’m helping you escape. Do you have a car?”

“Why are you helping me?” Poe asked skeptically as he pushed open the pub door.

The door shut behind them with a snap and Finn leveled him with a serious gaze. “Because it’s the right thing to do.”

Poe almost laughed out loud at that. “You need a ride home.”

Finn let out a relieved sigh. “I need a ride home. Rey usually picks me up on Saturday nights.”

“It’s no problem,” Poe chuckled. “I parked around the corner.”

They trudged through the fresh snow to the alleyway where Poe had left the Saab 900, his mood greatly improved. 

“You know, you’re lucky I was there to save you.” Finn said, pulling open the passenger door. “Phasma doesn’t usually let her victims off so easy.”

“I believe you..” Poe muttered, getting in behind the wheel. “Where am I taking you?”

Finn chewed his lip thinking for a moment and didn't answer.

“What’s the matter?” Poe asked.

“It’s just-” Finn looked out the window. “If it’s possible, I live even further away from town than Rey, and in this storm, I don’t think the car is going to make it.”

“Do you guys not have paved roads, like at all?” Poe taunted. Finn let out snort of laughter and Poe decided he was going to do everything in his power to make him laugh like that again.

“You could stay with me?” Poe’s mouth went dry at the implication and backtracked. “I mean at Rey’s place..”

“Would that be terrible if I did?” Finn gushed. “I’ll be gone before morning. You won’t even know I was there.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Poe said, trying to temper the excitement that was blooming in his chest as they sped off down the road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow!! the response to chapter 1 absolutely blew me away. thank you for reading and for your comments and kudos. the theme of this story is nothing hurts and everyone is happy lol
> 
> i hope you are having as much fun with this as i am!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> its officially november!!! happy holidays everyone!
> 
> drinking/drinking games tw

Dusk had settled out over the ocean and filled the house with a warm golden glow. Rey sat watching as the last rays of sunshine streamed in through the gigantic windows. She’d never seen so many colors in a sunset before. The normal orange, yellows and blues, sure. But never so many shades of pink, purple and even green.

She watched with fascination, until the last of the warm colors drifted once again into blue as night crept over the horizon. Eight o’clock was fast approaching and Rey kept trying to convince herself there was no need to be nervous. It was just dinner.

Dinner with a new acquaintance and her son.

Dinner with a posh former Senator and her attractive, albeit very rude, son.

Right, no need to be nervous.

Rey had put on a dark pair of jeans and her nicest jumper. It was chunky and cream colored but more fashionable than anything else in her wardrobe. As always, there was no hope for her hair, so she pulled it back into her signature three bun style and brushed a bit of mascara along her lashes.

Supposing she shouldn’t show up empty handed, Rey searched the cupboards and found a bottle of wine that looked relatively inexpensive. Promising herself she would replace it later, she grabbed her tiny excuse for a purse and headed out the door.

The walk didn’t take nearly as long as she hoped and with every step her anxiety grew. Rey didn’t have much experience with dinner parties. Her idea of a get together was getting take-away and holing up at Finn’s place. What if she didn’t know which fork to use or she said something horribly offensive without knowing?

Chiding herself for being a coward, Rey made her way through the bushes that bordered Leia’s property. She was too preoccupied with her own apprehension to really pay attention to her surroundings, but she did a double take when the house came into view.

It was equally as beautiful as Poe’s. White stucco with spiral columns lining the porch and a Spanish tile roof. There was a yellow rose bush growing up one side of the house and the biggest cypress tree Rey had ever seen shading the driveway.

Was it a requirement of the neighborhood that every house be devastatingly gorgeous?

Realizing she’d been staring for longer than polite, Rey hurried up the front porch and knocked on the ornate oak door. She only had to wait a few moments for a response.

“Come in! Come in-” Leia gushed as she ushered Rey into the front hall.

“Thanks for having me,” Rey said awkwardly, presenting the bottle of wine. “This is for you.”

“Oh how sweet,” Leia shut the door behind her and motioned down the hall. “Take it on into the kitchen, I’ll be just a minute.”

The older woman disappeared, back toward what Rey assumed were the bedrooms. Heading in the direction Leia had gestured, Rey only had to walk a short distance before a sprawling living space opened up in front of her.

It all seemed to be one huge room. Two plush couches sat in a sunken area around a tiled fireplace. An intricate wrought iron chandelier hung above the dining table, which was large enough to seat at least twelve. A gigantic Christmas tree, decorated in gold and white sat in the corner and on the far wall, three sets of french doors were thrown open to let in the cool December breeze.

“The girl I’ve heard so much about.” A low voice murmured behind her and Rey spun round to see Leia’s son standing in front of a large kitchen island, chopping vegetables. “You made quite the impression on my mom. She hasn’t shut up about you since this afternoon.”

Unsure of how to answer, and confused as to why he was staring at her so intently, Rey changed the subject. “Can I help with anything?”

“Absolutely not,” Leia interrupted, coming around the corner with a smirk. “Ben, open that wine. I’ll finish the salad.”

He set the knife down with an impatient sigh and plucked the bottle out of Rey’s hands. A little shiver went up her arm when their fingers brushed.

“You have a lovely home,” Rey commented, trying to keep her eyes off Ben’s broad shoulders as he searched for a corkscrew. “How long have you lived here?”

Leia picked up where Ben had left off on the carrots. “The house was actually my mother’s, but we’ve had it for thirty years or so..” She continued chatting about the house but Rey was only half paying attention.

The way they moved around each other, Ben pulling down three wine glasses from an upper cabinet and Leia turning to check on whatever was in the oven, it was seamless. Like avoiding a collision in the kitchen was second nature. Like each other’s movements were an extension of themselves. Like they worked around each other in this space every day.

Like they were a family.

It was often that Rey felt like an outsider in situations like this. Present but not actually a part of something. She swallowed back the familiar tug of loneliness and plastered a smile on her face.

The familiar waft of marinara floated through the kitchen and her mouth began to water. “It smells delicious.” 

Leia beamed, but before she could answer, Ben jabbed, “Don’t go making her think you can cook.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about-” Leia said flatly, grabbing a bottle of salad dressing from the fridge.  

Rey held back giggle as Ben gave his mother an evaluating stare.

“It’s a frozen lasagna,” He said turning his attention back to Rey. “It’s important that you know that.”

Rey let out a laugh, and even though she knew Ben didn’t intend it, she immediately felt more relaxed. Frozen lasagna was much more her speed.

 

***

 

Poe had driven slower than necessary back to the Outpost, Finn giving him quick directions when needed. The country roads were already slick from the wet snow turning to ice and Poe wasn’t taking any chances.

They finally pulled into the shed and Finn helped him put the tarp back over the car and pull the ancient barn doors shut.

Big wet flakes plastered their faces as they trudged up the walk. Poe was freezing, he had only wore a sweater and his leather jacket out for dinner.

“We rarely get snow like this-” Finn said through a shiver as they hurried through the back door.

Poe blew air into his clenched fists as he stomped the snow off his boots. “Really?”

“Yeah, I mean,” Finn grabbed a few logs from the pile stacked in the mud room. “Usually a few flurries here and there, but nothing like this.”

Poe followed him through the kitchen and out into the den. Finn began stacking the logs in the grate and grabbed a handful of kindling from an urn on the mantle. Poe watched everything, making sure he logged every step so he wouldn't freeze to death tomorrow when he had to light the fire by himself.

“What’s the deal with this place?” Poe asked, his curiosity getting the better of him as he looked around the room. “How long has it been here?”

“Rey didn’t tell you?” Finn stripped off his heavy coat and hung it on a hook next to the front door. “The Outpost has been here for hundreds of years, but no one had lived in it for a couple decades when Rey got a hold of it. The place was in ruins, shattered windows, busted pipes, no electricity... You name it, it was broken, and Rey fixed it up. Bought the place for next to nothing and repaired everything herself.”

“No way-” Poe blurted, taking off his own jacket.

“Seriously!” Finn assured. “She’s a mechanic, so I’m pretty sure she just watched tutorials on the internet and taught herself how to renovate the house.”

Poe let out a disbelieving laugh and looked around the room once more. The details stuck out to him as he took in Rey’s home. He hadn’t met her in person, but he felt like he was getting to know her by just looking around her home.

She didn’t have many pictures, just a small frame of her and Finn on the coffee table. The blanket folded up on the back of her sofa looked homemade and her kitchen cabinets looked hand painted.

Poe found he could appreciate the mismatched house much more now that he knew so much hard work had been put into it.

The fire was growing steadily, precious warmth spreading out to fill the room and Poe turned his back on the flames so it could permeate his thin sweater.

“We’re going to get snowed in-” Finn grunted as he looked out the large picture window. Poe tried to temper his excitement at the prospect. The ache of his break up was still very fresh, plus he didn’t even know if Finn _liked_ guys.

Finn let out a deep sigh. “We may as well get trashed."

“What?” Poe asked sharply as Finn went to open a cupboard above the vintage refrigerator.

“I think there’s a bottle of Brandy,” Finn kept rummaging through the cabinet. “Know any good drinking games?”

 

***

 

Rey was absolutely stuffed. Store bought or not, the lasagna was fabulous.

Leia had carried most of the conversation during dinner, Rey content to listen as Leia told her all about the area and gave her tips on what she should do with her two week stay.

Ben had barely spoken a word, only chiming in occasionally when called upon.

Rey had attempted to help clear the table but Leia wouldn’t hear of it. She’d stacked the dirty dishes and carried them into the kitchen herself, leaving Rey to look around the room curiously and Ben staring a hole in the dining table. Rey hadn’t decided if he was determined not to speak to her, or just terribly awkward at small talk.

She kept sneaking glances at him when she thought he wouldn’t notice. There were quite a few pictures around the house. Vacation pictures, family portraits, wedding photos, but none of them seemed recent. The man occupying most of them had to be Ben’s father and Rey was trying to discreetly compare their faces.

Their likeness was uncanny.

Same asymmetrical jaw, same rugged nose, same lopsided mouth.

Except for his eyes, Ben definitely had his mother’s eyes.

“So, Ben-” Rey asked, leaning toward the man sitting across from her. They had opened another bottle of wine and she was feeling much more courageous. “What do you do?”

He fiddled with his wine glass, not taking his eyes off the table. “I’m a writer.”

“Oh, Rey-” Leia implored, sweeping back into the dining room carrying a platter of brownies. “You should tell Ben about the book you’re reading.”

Rey let out a groan and set her glass down dramatically. “I’m about to give up on it, actually.”

“Why is that?” Ben asked, finally meeting her eyes. One side of his mouth quirked up, amused by her theatrics.

“One of the main characters,” Rey could feel her blood boil just thinking about it. “Kira, has just been killed off and-”

Ben choked on his drink.

“Are you alright?” Rey asked as he coughed and sputtered. Leia passed him a napkin, positively grinning in delight.

Eyeing him cautiously, and wondering why both of them were having such extreme reactions, Rey waited until she was sure he could breathe again before continuing. “-and it was only for shock value, it didn’t add anything to the story.”

“I see,” Ben rasped, his voice still rough from the wine going down the wrong pipe. “And in your opinion, what was the alternative?”

“That she not die?”

“But if it spurs on the protagonist-”

“What?” Rey interjected. “The only way the hero can be motivated, is by her loss? That just seems lazy.”

Leia covered her mouth and let out a girlish giggle that snapped Rey back to the moment. She sat back in her chair, feeling self-conscious. Ben was staring at her strangely, like he was seeing her for the first time, and didn’t like what he saw. Rey knew she could get a little carried away and hoped that her opinion didn’t cause offense.

They lapsed back into an awkward silence, Ben tipping his glass back and finishing his drink in one swallow.

“How about a game of cards?” Leia suggested, looking between the two of them. Ben didn’t acknowledge his mother.

“I’m afraid I don’t know many card games.” said Rey, rather sheepishly.

“Oh that’s okay!” Leia scoffed, waving her excuse away. “What do you know?”

“Umm,” Rey really felt embarrassed now. “Go Fish?”

Leia clapped her hands together in finality. “Perfect! Ben, get the cards-”

 

***

 

“Truth or Dare-” Finn asked again, trying to contain his laughter as he sat down from grabbing yet another bottle of liquor. Rey was very well stocked, it seemed.

“Dare-”

“No!” Finn groaned. “All you’ve done is dares.”

“Because they’re harder to come up with!” Poe insisted, laughing at Finn’s indignant expression.

“Fine,” Finn said, pouring out two more shots. “I dare you to tell me what you do for a living.”

Poe let out an intelligible sputtering noise. “That’s cheating!”

“Ruling from the judges?” Finn feigned thinking for a moment. “Nope, it’s fair.”

They had been at this for over an hour. Finn had yet to come up with an embarrassing enough dare that Poe would rather drink, than do.

“Go on then,” Finn encouraged with a grin. “I dare ya.”

“Alright fine,” Poe threw him a scathing look. “But you’re going to pay for this.”

“I’m waiting..”

Poe rolled his eyes and stared into the fire for a moment before answering. “I’m a pilot.”

“There, that wasn’t so hard.” Finn laughed, throwing back his shot. “What kind of planes do you fly.”

Poe grimaced. “That’s technically classified.”

“What?” Finn laughed, disbelieving. “Do you work for the government or something?”

“Or something-” Poe added, he was trying to be as nonchalant as possible, but they probably should have started with a less complicated question.

“Okay,” Finn widened his eyes dramatically. “So a pilot from California. What brought you to England?”

“No-” Poe said, pointing an accusing finger at Finn’s chest. “It’s your turn. Truth or Dare?”

Finn smirked, “Truth.”

Poe had been waiting for this one, he hoped Finn was drunk enough for it. “Tell me about all your past relationships.”

“Oh you’ve got to be kidding-”

“Do it or drink!” Poe said laughing at Finn’s indignation.

“Alright, fine,” Finn settled back a little deeper against the sofa. “But it’s not going to take very long.”

Poe grinned and gestured for him to begin.

“Well, I had a girlfriend in primary school,” Finn began and Poe snorted. “You wanted all past relationships… Then I had a boyfriend for a really short while in secondary, he turned out to be an idiot... and that’s about it.”

Poe tried to ignore the way his heart soared at the mention of a boyfriend but then something else diverted his attention. “What, that’s it!?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“What about you and Rey?”

Finn made a disgusted noise. “No! She’s like my sister-”

Poe held his hands up in surrender and chuckled. “Sorry! But, no relationships past high school?”

“Nope.”

“Ooh-kay,” Poe concluded, tipping back his drink and setting the glass heavily on the table.

“Alright, Poe.” Finn challenged, pouring out another round of shots. “Should I even ask?”

“Dare-”

“I dare you to tell me why you chose Surrey, of all places, to go on vacation.”

Poe groaned and let his head fall back against the cushions. “You can’t do that twice in a row!”

“Yes I can!”

It was only because Finn’s smile was so brilliant that he relented. “Well..” The words came out in a tumble, Poe thinking if he said it quickly, it wouldn’t sound so crazy. “Rey found my house on a home exchange website and I’d just been dumped. So on a stupid whim, I booked the flight thinking it’d be a great way not to deal with my life for a couple weeks.”

“People actually do that?” Finn asked skeptically. “Switch houses over the internet?”

“Apparently,” Poe said, trying to block the image of Kaydel out of his mind. “Here I am-”

They were quiet for a moment, Poe pulling himself out of his self-pity and looking at the large clock hanging over the mantle. It was almost three in the morning.

“Well, Poe the Pilot from California who has just been dumped.” Poe cringed at the observation but Finn sat up straighter and put his hand over his heart. “I’m going to personally guarantee that you have a fantastic two week stay.”

 

***

 

“Leia, do you have an eights?”

“Go Fish-”

Rey huffed and pulled another card from the deck. For being the only card game she knew, she was pretty terrible at it.

“Rey,” Ben asked in mock politeness. “Do you have any eights?”

“You have got to be joking-” Rey threw her two eights down in front of him. “You have been doing this all night-”

“Doing what?” Ben replied innocently.

“Taking all my cards,” Rey gestured to the multitude of four-of-a-kinds he had sitting in front of him.

“It’s just how it was dealt, I guess.” He added the group of eights to his spoils. “I'm pretty sure you've been hiding a pair of queens in there too. You're going to give me those next.”

“I’m not giving you anything,” Rey snapped, trying to reign in her competitiveness.

Ben’s eyes glinted mischievously. “We’ll see.”

Leia looked between them like she was watching an extremely entertaining tennis match. This was their fourth round of Go Fish and Ben had won the previous three, mostly by swiping Rey’s cards. He had barely taken any from his mother’s hand.

Rey narrowed her eyes in suspicion. She had a feeling he was punishing her for something, she just didn’t know what.

“Rey,” He taunted. “Do you have any queens?”

The way he was smiling, one side of his mouth pulled up in a cocky smirk, was doing things to her and Rey had to concentrate very hard at maintaining her glare.

“You’re a monster,” She said through frustrated grin, but threw down her cards in surrender.

“Alright Mom,” He said turning his attention back to Leia. “Do you have any twos?”

“Go Fish, honey.”

The game only lasted a few more turns before Ben laid down his last four cards in triumph.   

“Well, that’s the last time I pick the game.” Rey said, standing and taking their now empty wine glasses to the kitchen sink.

“Rey, you have to come back tomorrow night.” Leia called after her. “Sunday night cards, It’s sort of a tradition.”

“After my showing tonight," Rey laughed. "I’m not sure that would be good for my pride.”

Leia waved her off. “You don’t have to play if you don’t want. My husband will be back tomorrow, he’d love to meet you and talk shop.”

Rey noticed Ben tense ever so slightly at the mention of his father, but Leia didn’t comment and he continued gathering up the discarded deck.

“Tonight was great, I can’t thank you enough for your kindness-”

“Don’t mention it,” Leia insisted, standing and pushing in her chair. “Ben will walk you home.”

“Oh no,” Rey’s stomach did a backflip at the suggestion of being alone with him. “That’s not necessary-”

“Nonsense,” Leia said, swatting her son on the shoulder. Rey hadn’t known Ben very long, but she could already recognize the strain in his face as he resisted rolling his eyes.

After a few more attempts of Rey asserting that she could see herself home just fine, Leia ushered them both toward the door. Shoving a plate of leftovers in Rey’s arms and making her promise she’d come back tomorrow night.

"You can meet Han and Lando." Leia gushed. "And my brother, Luke, will be here as well-"

"Can't wait," Rey assured. With that, Leia wished her a good night and disappeared behind the front door.

“This really isn’t necessary-”  Rey said again as soon they were alone on the porch.

“Believe me," Ben muttered, sounding resentful. "I know.” 

They walked down the driveway in silence, Rey carrying her leftovers and Ben shoving his hands in his pockets. His proximity was disconcerting and she was all too aware of the way his biceps peeked out beneath his shirt. 

“What game do you play on Sunday nights?” Rey asked, trying to break the tense silence that was accompanying them.

“Poker-”

Rey swore softly.

"Did you know you have a tell?" Ben smiled to himself, like he was in on a private joke. "You tap your fingers when you get a good hand."

"Oh," Rey said taken aback. She didn't realize he'd been paying attention. Outside of stealing her cards, he'd barely interacted with her all night. 

“You need a teacher-” He blurted and Rey looked at him sharply. “I mean, I can show you how, if you want to play tomorrow night..”

Rey continued to stare at him. Was he trying to _flirt_ with her? If so, he was terrible at it.

"Come over early," Ben continued, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. "I’ll teach you everything I know.”

"I'll think about it," Rey cringed inwardly at her attempt to flirt back. She punched in the code to the gate, not expecting him to follow her to the front door. However, her attempt at banter must have encouraged him, because he escorted her all the way to the porch. 

“Thanks for walking me home-” Rey said awkwardly, standing in front of the large double doors. He took a step closer to her as she fumbled for the keys in her bag. 

“I’ll keep in mind what you said,” He took another step closer and Rey furrowed her brow, unsure what he was talking about.

He was standing very close. Too close. Their chests were less than a foot apart and Rey had to tip her head all the way back to see his face.

Leaning down so he could whisper in her ear, he murmured, “I promise, in my next book, I won’t kill off any main characters.”

He pulled back just enough to look her in the eye, their noses were almost touching. Was he going to kiss her? Why did Rey think he was going to kiss her? They just met and she wasn’t even convinced he liked her all that much. She certainly didn’t like him.

He gave her a quick smirk, then hurried down the steps and back out the gate. Rey stood stunned for a few moments before understanding his meaning-

_Wait, what did he say?_

Then it all snapped into place, Leia’s glee at Rey’s aversion to the book she was reading. Ben’s reaction as she criticized the direction the story had taken. How he’d targeted her during their game of Go Fish.

_Oh my god._

_He was Kylo Ren._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> seriously thank you guys so much for your comments and for your response to these first couple chapters!!! i am writing this purely for my own enjoyment so thank you for having fun with me <33 
> 
> don't forget to subscribe for update notifications or come bug me on [tumblr](prinecssleia.tumblr.com) for eta's
> 
> last thing- this sort of became my national writing month novel so if you are participating in nanowrimo make sure to add me!! my user is [hanhendrickson](https://nanowrimo.org/participants/hanhendrickson/novels/the-holiday-a-reylo-stormpilot-au)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'M ALIVE... who is ready for some poker?? enjoy!
> 
> cancer/cancer mention tw

Rey stomped up the path, thoroughly put out. She’d spent most of the day at the beach, trying to read her book with fresh eyes. Now that she knew who wrote it, she’d hoped to gain insight into the tone, or the plot, or something.

She hadn't.

The novel was still unbelievably depressing, and to top it off, she kept thinking about _him_. Kept picturing Ben as the main character, instead of the figment of her imagination she’d previously come up with. Eventually Rey had given up, content to walk up and down the beach watching BB-8 chase the birds. She’d even taken her shoes off, thinking she’d walk in the shallow surf. But the water had been absolutely freezing, so she’d given up on that too.

As the trees thinned and she neared the neighborhood, Rey wondered if it was too early to call at the Solo household. Dinner wasn’t for another couple hours at least, but an awkward weight had been clawing at her insides since last night and she hoped apologizing would relieve it. Not that Rey didn’t mean what she said… She did. But if she'd known she was talking about Ben's book, she never would have said those things. At the very least she wouldn’t have said them so harshly.

Making up her mind, Rey and BB-8 jogged the rest of the way to the house. Eager to get this conversation over with, she showered and spent the short time under the perfect water pressure practicing what she would say in her head. She didn't need to grovel, just let Ben know any offense given was unintentional. 

Dressing quickly and throwing her hair into a knot on the top of her head, Rey trotted over to the neighboring house. She knocked firmly on the Solos’ front door and sucked in a deep breath to gather her courage. She waited almost a full minute with no answer and had just raised her fist to knock a second time when Leia wrenched the door open, smiling brightly and her eyes warm. “Rey! I’m afraid I’m on my way out-”

“Actually,” Rey offered, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt. “I’d like to speak with Ben. If he’s around.”

“Oh,” Leia raised her brow in surprise but stood aside for Rey to pass. “What’s he done now?”

Rey laughed. “No, nothing like that.”

“Good,” Leia let out a dramatic sigh of relief. “I’m so sorry I’ve got to run, I’m late picking up Han but I think I heard Ben in the kitchen.”

Leia disappeared through the side door that led to the garage and Rey shuffled down the hall the opposite way. She turned the corner and was met by Ben standing in front of the fridge, shirtless and drenched in sweat.

“Oh my-” Rey averted her eyes to the ceiling, a burst of embarrassment flooding her veins, followed by something stiflingly hot that she didn’t try too hard to identify.

“Jesus-” He said pulling his earphones out and slamming the fridge door shut. “You just barge into people’s houses?”

“Your mum let me in,” Rey stammered, looking anywhere but at him. Even out of the corner of her eye she could see the broad planes of his chest, his well muscled shoulders, and the jut of his pecs that shifted and dropped into a toned stomach.

He glowered, uncapping the jug of orange juice in his hands. “What do you want?”

“Do you have something,” Rey resisted the urge to put her hand up to shield him from view. “A shirt or something you could put on?”

Ben made no move to appease her and took a swig straight from the bottle.

With an impatient huff, Rey forced herself to look him in the eye. “I wanted to apologize-”

“For what?” He interrupted, a furrow creasing his brow.

Rey cleared her throat awkwardly, keeping her eyes firmly on his face. “For last night, I obviously didn’t realize I was talking about _your_ book, and if I had I wouldn’t have... said what I said.”

He leaned a hip against the counter, watching her stumble through her apology. He was the picture of nonchalance. It was infuriating.

After a moment of letting her stew in silence, Ben set aside the now empty jug. “It was an honest review. There’s nothing to apologize for.”

He crossed his arms over that stupidly broad chest, not taking his eyes off her and Rey swallowed back her nerves at his lack of clothing. If the smell was anything to go by, he must have just finished a run and his workout shorts were sitting dangerously low on his hips. _What was wrong with her?_   She’d seen naked men before and he was still partially clothed. Schooling her features into something she hoped looked like indifference, Rey stared right back.

“Well, I felt like I should,” She snapped. “And I did. So I’ll just... go-” Rey turned to leave, letting out the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding, but he called her back.

“Do you still want that poker lesson?”

It must have been the surprise of it all that was making her brain fuzzy because Rey said the first thing that came to mind.

“Are you going to put on a shirt?”

He chuckled, in the barest sense of the word, letting out a breath through his nose and one side of his mouth twitching in amusement. “Give me a minute.”

As he strode past her down the hall, Rey peeked around the corner to watch him go. His back was just as impressive as his front. 

She heard the distant whine of a shower turning on and took the brief time alone to steady her now racing heart. She needed to get a grip. Restless energy curled in her middle and she strolled through the house trying to take her mind off of Ben’s pale chest.

Finn often used the expression "c _limb him like a tree"_ and Rey hadn't really understood his meaning. Until now.

She continued to meander through the living room looking for a distraction. A set of built-in bookshelves anchored the fireplace and Rey pulled various books down, taking in the collection. There were quite a few about flying, Rey especially liked thumbing through a thick volume about Amelia Earhart. Continuing her perusal, Rey made her way through several shelves designated for political biographies, stopping only when she spied Leia's name on a thin spine. The paperback was modest in length, and based on the back cover summary, seemed to detail the life of Padme Amidala Naberrie, the youngest person to ever be elected Governor of California. It listed Leia as a co-author with one Luke Skywalker. 

Rey's breath hitched. She knew all about Luke Skywalker.

His trilogy, _Knights of the Old Republic_ , was her absolute favorite growing up. Rey had probably read the series at least two dozen times before starting her A-Levels.  Putting the small biography back in its place, Rey scampered over to the other bookcase, searching for the familiar yellow and black lettering. Leia had mentioned her brother, Luke, a few times the previous evening. Surely her brother wasn't Luke Skywalker? Could she really have stumbled upon relatives of her childhood hero?

And did Leia say he was coming over for dinner _tonight!?_

Rey's hungry eyes searched the shelves and sure enough, she found them, tucked away on the far end. Letting a soft smile creep over her face, she grabbed the first book of the series and flipped through the pages. The spine was well-worn and random pages were dogeared throughout the novel. Whoever had done the bookmarking had similar taste and Rey grinned as she read through several of her favorite passages, diving back into the world of Bastila Shan and Darth Revan.

She skipped ahead to the last chapter, skimming through the action-packed battle on the _Leviathan_. The book ended on a massive cliffhanger as Bastila attempted to bring Revan back from the brink of death, creating an unbreakable bond between the two.

Closing the back cover, Rey let out a deep sigh and clutched the novel to her chest. If she had ever truly had a home, these books would be it.

Sliding it back into its place, Rey continued to eye the shelves for more novels she recognized. There was a section dedicated to just the classics; Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Mark Twain... Some even looked like first editions. Rey didn't dare touch those, so her eyes continued upward past Hemingway and Tolkien to the very top shelf. Where Ben’s book sat facing outward, a photo of him at a book signing next to it. He wasn’t smiling, not really. He was looking into the camera with a reluctant humor, a crease in the middle of his brow. Again, Rey wondered at the pen name.

 _Kylo Ren_.

She decided she liked the sound of Ben Solo better.

The scraping of a dining room chair interrupted her thoughts. Rey whipped around to see Ben taking a seat and spreading several items out in front of him. He had put on a shirt, thank god, and his hair was still damp from the shower.

“First thing you need to know,” He called across the room, sorting the chips in front of him by color. “Is how to lie.”

“I know how to lie.” Rey snapped. All thoughts of possibly meeting Luke Skywalker vanishing as she moved past the couches to watch him shuffle the deck.

He raised an eyebrow; the cards fluttering beneath his fingers. “Let me rephrase, you need to know how to lie _well_.”

Rey rolled her eyes and took the seat next to him. After shuffling a few more times, he set the deck down in front of her expectantly. She looked between it and him thoroughly confused. “What am I supposed to do?”

If it was possible, the scowl that usually occupied his face deepened. “This is worse than I thought.”

“Hey-”

“This is a cut,” He said splitting the deck in half. “You always cut towards the dealer.”

Rey listened intently as he explained the basic rules. How dealing worked, how betting worked, which cards or hands were better than others. He spoke quickly and didn’t repeat himself. Rey concentrated very hard on filing away the information he was throwing at her and soon caught on to the general premise.

“So if you’re not big blind, you can call, bet or fold?”

“Yes,” Ben dealt them each two cards and set three aside between them. “Now you aren’t trying to play the cards. What you're dealt is strictly luck, unless Lando is dealing, but that’s beside the point-”

“What, he cheats?”

“We all cheat.” Ben said looking up from the deck with a hint of a grin. “It’s just who cheats better.”

Rey's tone took on an indignant edge. “Then how on earth, am I supposed to keep my money?”

“I’m trying to teach you how-” He shot back. “You’re playing the people, not the cards. Does that make sense?”

Rey narrowed her eyes suspiciously, wondering if they invited her to this game for the sole purpose of providing an easy mark.

“Look at your cards,” Ben ordered, turning over the three he had set aside. “Now based on your hand and my reaction, you'll call, bet or fold.”

Rey watched him carefully as he peeked at his two cards, set them aside and stared at her blankly.

She let out a huff. “But you didn’t react at all!”

“Sure I did,” He said still staring at her. “What was my reaction?”

“I don’t know,” Rey fumbled. “It was neutral.”

Ben shrugged, “Close enough.”

Rey turned everything over in her mind he’d just told her and decided, “Check.”

“Okay, now what do you have?”

“Oh, I forgot-”

Ben shook his head in amusement and Rey couldn’t help but grin back.

“You are absolute toast.” He joked and then reached for her cards, turning them over to show a ten and a two. “Oh, you should have folded.”

“What?” Rey whined. “Why?”

“You’ve got nothing-” He gestured to the community cards which held a eight, a king and a three.

“But you said I wasn’t playing the cards!”

“Well, you play them a little.” Ben chided. “Especially when your hand is this bad-”

Rey groaned.

They kept at it for at least an hour. Playing round after round where Rey would try to bet or fold based on what Ben had taught her and he would immediately tell her everything she was doing wrong.

Despite his terrible teaching methods, she actually felt like she was getting the hang of it. At least, she knew when she had a good hand and when she needed to fold. She still hadn’t cracked Ben though. He’d told her he was giving her tells to look for but Rey couldn’t see them. She kept getting distracted by his hair, or his hands, or his eyes.

“You have to pay attention-” He said impatiently, gathering up the cards after Rey had lost, yet again. “Take my mom for example, when she gets a good hand, she always sits back in her chair like she’s trying to play it cool-”

“Oh, is that what you've been doing?” She replied sarcastically, his mood rubbing off on her. “How can I know that if you don’t tell me?”

 _“You pay attention-”_ He said again.

Before Rey could answer, a commotion on the other side of the house pulled her attention away from their training game. She recognized Leia’s clever laugh but a deep, raspy voice sounded from down the hall and Rey craned her neck to catch a glimpse of the pair as they rounded the corner.

Ben’s father had gray hair, a slightly crooked nose and good-natured eyes. Rey recognized him immediately from the photos, and from the man sitting next to her. Both Ben’s parents froze when they caught sight of them together at the dining room table.

“Who the hell are you?” Ben’s father said gruffly, staring directly at Rey. She held back a laugh at the memory of Ben asking her the same thing.

Leia rounded on her husband, “Christ, Han! Is that anyway to greet a guest?”

"I’m Rey-" She grinned and waved from her spot at the table.

“You’re staying at Dameron’s place?” Ben’s father let out an exaggerated sigh and set down his suitcase. “Thank God, I thought Ben brought a girl home for Christmas.”

Rey looked round to laugh with Ben but he was shuffling the cards, a deep scowl taking over his face.

Ben’s father walked over to the table and held out a hand for her to shake, “Han Solo, nice to meet you.”

“You too-” Rey found it hard to believe a man of such good humor could produce the grouch sitting next to her.

“Ben-” Han nodded to his son by way of greeting.

Ben didn’t look up from sorting the deck, “Dad.”

Han stared at his son for a moment longer like he wanted to say more, but he quickly decided against it and turned his attention back to Rey. Pointing a finger between them he asked, “What are you two doing?”

"Ben," Rey said brightly. "Is teaching me how to play poker."

“Are you trying to take all my money tonight?”

"Absolutely."

Han smiled, looking back towards his wife. "I like her."

 

 

*** 

 

 

Poe lurched forward from sleep, mouth dry and head pounding. He was freezing. The grate in the bedroom remained empty, and the air was frigid. He grabbed at his phone on the bedside table. It was dead. As he sat up the room spun and Poe squinted against the bright light streaming in through the windows.

Jesus, had he ever been this hungover?

Pulling himself from the lumpy mattress, he went straight for the bathroom, brushing his teeth and splashing cool water on his face. It didn’t help much. He still felt awful.

The night before wasn’t a total blur. He remembered their drinking game. He remembered laughing. A lot. He remembered thinking Finn’s smile was addictive. He remembered stumbling up to the bedroom after Finn was settled comfortably on the couch with several pillows and half a dozen blankets. Through the blur of alcohol, he remembered that with Finn around, the sting of his breakup didn’t cut quite so deep.

Finn. Was there a chance he was still here? Poe had no clue what time it was.

He stumbled down the uneven stairs and made it without falling. Barely. Turning the corner into the kitchen to find Finn making coffee. His stomach lurched in pleasant surprise, followed by nausea.

Finn turned and gave him a brilliant grin. “Good morning!”

Poe sat heavily on a kitchen chair and clutched his forehead. “I haven’t had that much to drink in-” His brain was fuzzy as he tried to think. “What am I saying? I’ve never had that much to drink.”

Finn was silently laughing. “Yes, I believe no one has.”

“How are you fine?” Poe asked. “You had just as much as I did.”

“I work in a pub.” Finn smirked and set a steaming cup down on the table in front of Poe. “I know how to hold my liquor.” Poe narrowed his eyes before Finn added, “Also, I chundered first thing when I woke up.”

Poe filtered through everything he knew about British slang and realized chunder meant vomit. He let out a hearty laugh.

Looking past Finn through the window over the kitchen sink, Poe saw it had stopped snowing. The landscape was blindingly white in all directions, fresh powder covering every hill, tree and fence post.

“You know, I grew up in DC,” Poe murmured, remembering the peace of fresh snow covering the city. “When we’d get snow like this, it would shut the whole place down.”

Finn raised an eyebrow in surprise. It took Poe a moment to realize why. He had supplied personal information about himself willingly, without the threat of truth or dare hanging over him. Poe smiled, slightly abashed. Maybe he was still a little drunk.

“I grew up in London,” Finn said simply. “Born in London, raised in London. I’ll probably die in London.”

Poe chuckled, and they sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments before Finn set his now empty cup in the sink.

“I should get going.”

“Oh, yeah-” Poe gulped down the coffee to hide his disappointment. He relished how it burnt his tongue. “What time is it?”

“About,” Finn hummed checking his watch. “Three in the afternoon.”

“Three!?” Poe almost shouted. What was with him? Even drunk, he never slept this much. “Do you need a ride?”

“No, I’ll be all right to walk. I live just over the bridge,” Finn flashed him a bright smile as he moved to grab his coat from the hook by the door.

Poe stood, the room tipping for a moment before leveling out and he grabbed the back of his chair for support. “Probably a good call.”

“I have to work tonight, but if you don’t have plans-“ Finn scrunched his nose. “Would you want to go into town tomorrow?”

“Town?” Poe stammered. “Like London?”

Finn shot him a grin. “Yeah, I figured you’d like to see the sights.”

“Yes!” Poe replied enthusiastically and then remembered himself. “I mean yeah, that sounds great.”

“All right,” Finn’s smile widened. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

He finished buttoning his coat and was halfway to the door before turning back.

“Or if you’re feeling up to it, why don’t you swing by the pub for dinner? Maz makes a wicked hangover cure.”

 

 

***

 

 

Rey was on hamburger duty, closely monitored by Han. She quickly found that she liked Leia's husband very much, even while he looked over her shoulder to make sure she cooked the taco meat to his exact specifications. He was gruff and sarcastic and everything Rey thought a father should be. He kissed his wife on the forehead and made teasing remarks about his son. Which seemed to infuriate Ben, but that was beside the point.

"So Rey," Han asked as she drained the hamburger grease. "Do engineers test their own designs?"

"Some do," She replied over her shoulder.

Han leaned against the counter, looking at her curiously. "You don't?"

"I suppose I do. In theory."

"You don't fly your own planes?" He puzzled.  

"Just simulations-" Rey offered trying not to feel defensive, and she made a show of adding taco seasoning to the frying pan.

Han scratched his chin, looking thoughtful. "I was thinking about taking the Falcon out tomorrow. You wouldn't want to join me, would you?"

"Oh," Rey turned in surprise, barely catching Ben's eye roll as he diced tomatoes. Rey had noticed that though Han had chatted easily enough with her, he had only spoken to his son directly a few times since his arrival. Equally curious was Ben's silence, but Rey was trying her best not to snoop.

"Shall we say, three o'clock?"

"I'm actually not much of a flyer-" Rey stammered, trying to explain her inexperience. "My trip here was the first time I'd been on an airplane since I was a kid."

"That settles it then-" Han declared as Leia swept back into the kitchen.

"Settles what?" Leia asked as she set two green peppers on the counter next to the tomatoes.

"I'm taking Rey flying tomorrow."

Ben stopped chopping and glowered at his father. "Don't subject her to that piece of junk."

" _Junk,_ " Han countered indignantly and Leia hid a snigger behind the back of her hand. "I can't believe it. Betrayed by my own flesh and blood."

Shaking his head in distaste, Ben went back to slicing his vegetables, though his chops were a little more violent than before.

"What do you say, Rey?" Han shot her a lopsided grin. "Three o'clock sound good?"

"I don't kn-" But the rest of her protest was drowned out by the front door closing loudly and a stranger's voice shouting through the house. "Anyone home?"

"Kitchen Lando!" Han called over his shoulder.

The newcomer rounded the corner and threw his fashionable coat over a barstool. "Han, Buddy!" He called jovially, moving through the room like he owned the place. The man called Lando gave Han a hearty handshake before giving Leia a quick peck on the cheek.

"Hey kid!" Lando said through a grin, making his way around the island to give Ben a hug. "When did you get back in town?"

"Yesterday-" Ben smiled. He actually smiled, transforming his entire face. The little furrow between his brow disappeared and his eyes lit up with a genuine warmth. _He should smile more often,_ Rey thought to herself before Lando caught sight of her standing off to the side.

"Well, well, well," Lando asked, giving Rey a look that made her blush involuntarily. "Who do we have here?"

"I'm Rey," she said hastily, extending a hand to the Solo's family friend. "I'm staying next door while Poe is away on holiday."

"His loss is our gain." Lando grabbed Rey's hand with a flourish and brushed his lips over her knuckles. Much to her own surprise, Rey found herself charmed by the gesture. "Lando Calrissian, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Han let out a bark of a laugh. "Look at him, he's half dead and still interested."

"Hey-" asked Lando, his eyes sweeping through the room once more. "Where's Chewie? He still owes me from last week."

Leia rolled her eyes. "He's in Alaska, with his own family for a change."

Lando grumbled something unintelligible and followed Han as the two men piled their plates with tacos. Rey hung back and noticed Ben doing the same. Earlier, she hadn't gotten the chance to ask him how much money they actually played for. Rey had never been much of a gambler and would gracefully see herself out of this game if it was beyond her price range.

"Is this a high stakes thing?" Rey asked, shooting him a furtive glance. "How big of a pot are we talking?"

"Don't worry," Leia reassured, handing Rey a plate. "Ten dollar buy in, is all. We leave the truly shocking prize pools for their Wednesday night games."

"When we were first married," Han shot his wife a roguish grin. "I lost eight hundred dollars to Chewie in the span of thirty minutes. You about killed me when I got home."

"You deserved it." Leia replied, not missing a beat.

Lando sighed wistfully. "I lost my one true love in a Wednesday game."

"Oh, would you give that a rest-" Han grumbled to his friend. "It was forty years ago, and I won her fair and square."

Rey turned to Leia in shock.

"Not me!" Leia said scandalized. "They're talking about that damn twin engine."

"You won your plane in a game of cards?" Rey asked through a girlish giggle. "Is that legal?"

"Sure-" Han and Lando replied, while Ben and Leia replied with a resounding " _No_."

"It's a grey area-" Han scoffed, brushing his wife and son's criticism aside. "The real question is, if he was dumb enough to bet the Falcon in the first place then did he ever really love her to begin with."

Han and Lando continued to squabble while Rey followed Leia through the makeshift buffet. She helped herself to a modest portion, wanting to maintain the illusion that she ate like a normal person. If she was lucky, maybe Leia would send her home with leftovers again.

That hope was squashed, however, as Ben came through behind her and transferred all the remaining food to his plate. A sharp feeling of camaraderie bloomed in her chest, followed by just a twinge of envy and Rey had to stifle a snort of laughter as he dumped an ungodly amount of cheese on top of everything.

Ben caught her watching him. "What?" he asked as he shoveled half a taco in his mouth.

Rey just turned her head to hide her grin.

They ate gathered around the kitchen island, passing chips and salsa back and forth. It was strange that Rey could feel so at home with a group of mostly strangers. But the acceptance she felt in their company was instantaneous.

England Rey, the normal Rey, usually kept to herself. Never going out of her way to make friends with her co-workers or the regulars at Maz's pub, always brushing off Finn's attempts to get her to go out and meet new people. 

This Rey, vacation Rey as she'd started calling herself, was different. Vacation Rey was a delight to have around. Vacation Rey lived a glamorous life of beach getaways and made friends wherever she went. But, most importantly, vacation Rey had never laughed so hard in her life. 

The tears of mirth streamed down her face as Lando continued recounting the many escapades of his youth. Vaguely, Rey registered a cell phone ringing nearby, but she was too enraptured by Lando's stories to give it much attention. It was only when Ben tensed beside her that Rey noticed Leia speaking in hushed tones as she left the room. 

"Then there was that long weekend in Chicago-" Lando continued between chuckles. 

"Rey, don't believe a word he says," Han interrupted. "It's all lies."

"So you're telling me," Rey quipped. "That you weren't a ladies' man?"

"Never-" Han said, a self-satisfied smile taking over his face. "We married very young."

Rey beamed. Her fondness for love stories as prevalent in real life as it was in her choice of fiction. 

"Only because he had the best girl in town," Lando added. "He had to marry her to take her off the market!"

"Are we going to reminisce all night?" Leia chided, sweeping back into the kitchen. "Or are we going to play cards?"

"I thought we were waiting on Luke?" Lando asked.

Though her voice was casual, Rey caught the furtive glance Leia shot her son. "He isn't going to make it tonight."

The table sat quiet for a beat, Rey slightly disappointed. She still hadn't gotten up the nerve to ask if Leia's brother was Luke Skywalker. 

"Did he say why?" Han asked nonchalantly.

"Something about a deadline-"

"You know why-" Ben grumbled, taking his plate and dropping it into the sink with a clatter.

Rey _didn't_ know why, but apparently everyone else did. The tension remained, even as Lando cheerfully migrated them all to the dining room. Rey sat next to Leia, sneaking a glance at Ben when he sat down across from her. Just a moment before, he'd been laughing and joking with Lando, whereas now he was closed up and frowning at a spot on the table. His entire demeanor changing in about ten seconds. 

Was he really so disappointed that his uncle wasn't coming?

Their card game began however, and Rey could no longer puzzle over his shocking mood swing. She started out cautious with her chips, using her newfound knowledge to get a feel for how everyone played. Ben was quiet and conservative, whether because of his bad mood or because that's how he bet, Rey didn't know. Lando and Han were predictable showboaters, betting large sums on bluffs without a care in the world if they won or lost. Leia was a little harder to crack. On the outside, Ben's mother looked rational and calm, however she lost just as much as she won trying to go for the miracle hands. 

Every few rounds, one of the elders would bluff and lose over half their winnings, leaving Rey and Ben sitting pretty, as one by one they all bowed out. 

"I guess tonight just wasn't my night-" Han sighed, clapping his son on the back before going to join Leia and Lando in the living room. Watching him go, Rey narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Did they all lose on purpose? Why on earth would they do that?

"Your deal-" Ben said quietly, setting the deck down in between them.

They played four or five hands with no one gaining any ground. Rey was getting impatient for some action, so when it was her turn to deal again she came up with a plan. After the opening bet and the flop, Rey drummed her fingers on the table twice. It had been the first time she'd done so all night and she watched as Ben's eyes caught the movement.

She was bluffing, she only had two pair, but Ben's bets had been relatively conservative this hand, so she figured she might as well try to play him. If Ben had a tell, Rey hadn't figured it out, but he seemed confident enough in his own cards to raise and Rey matched him bet for bet. 

She flipped the last community card over; it was a six of spades, no good to her but she didn't deviate from her current plan. Rey watched him carefully as he weighed a few chips between his long fingers. 

"I'll raise," He said finally, throwing five white chips onto the pile. Rey had long ago forgotten how much each color was worth. She just knew she had more chips than him.

It may have gone to her head because after a few long moments of eye contact, Rey pushed her entire stack of chips to the middle of the table. "All in-"

Ben's eyes flashed, a small smirk threatened the corners of his mouth and Rey's stomach dropped. If he was smiling, he wasn't bluffing.

"Well?" Rey sighed, trying to play it cool. The air between them seemed to heat and spark as they sized each other up.  _Please let him fold. Please let him fold. Please let him fold._

"Alright," he said after a beat and pushed his own chips to the middle. "All in."

"Let's see them then," She said brightly, gesturing to his hand. 

He gave her the barest hint of a wry grin before turning his cards face up to show a full house.

"I believe that's game," He said, relaxing back into his chair. 

"I haven't shown you my cards yet," Rey retorted.

"No," He hummed, watching her carefully. "But you've got that look in your eye. From last night... When you called me a monster."

Rey let out a deep sigh and set her cards aside in defeat. He'd called her bluff. "You are a monster." 

"Yes, I am." He said smugly and pulled the heaping pile of chips toward him in triumph. 

 

  

***

 

 

Finn place a steaming hot skillet of potato and sausage hash down in front of him and Poe had to muster all of his willpower not to vomit. 

"Are you sure about this?" Poe asked, trying to breathe through his mouth. 

Finn looked like he was trying to hold back a laugh. "Three bites in and you'll feel good as new."

Poe didn't believe him but he unraveled his silverware anyway. Finn gave him a reassuring grin before picking up an empty crate and heading back to the kitchens.

He sat there for several minutes, pushing his food around. Coming here had been a terrible idea. Poe still felt monumentally awful, his chest aching and head pounding. To make matters worse, he'd gotten an email from Kaydel asking if she could come by and get her things after Christmas. Coward that he was, Poe still hadn't answered her back.

"You don't like my food?" A tiny whisp of a woman asked from behind the bar, pulling him out of his self pity.

"What? Oh-" Poe stammered, spearing a piece of sausage and plunging into his mouth. "No, it's great-"

The woman hummed skeptically. "You must be Poe."

He nodded through another mouthful. Once he got past the smell it actually tasted pretty good.

The woman watched him eat through her coke bottle glasses, the lenses magnifying her eyes to twice the size they should be. She was old, really old. Poe wasn't very good at guessing ages, but she had to be in her seventies at least. She had dark wrinkled skin and shockingly white hair closely cropped to her head. 

"I'm Maz Kanata," She clarified through the echoes of an African accent. "Finn says you're staying at Rey's place over Christmas?"

Poe nodded again, his mouth still full. 

"Good." Maz quipped. "You can start with the shelves in the office."

Poe swallowed before he had chewed his food all the way and it stuck in his throat. "What?" He asked, thoroughly nonplussed. 

"Rey is my handyman," Maz said, turning back to him like this was common knowledge. "She's gone. You're here. That means you get to fix the shelves in the office."

"I don't-"

"You obviously need something to occupy your time besides drinking," She continued, not letting him get a word in. "You'll fix things up around here during your stay while you get over... whoever it is you're getting over."

A lump that had nothing to the food gathered in the back of his throat. "Finn told you?"

Maz looked at him quizically before shaking her head. "When you live long enough, you see the same eyes in different people."

Poe stared at this strange little woman and she stared right back. Her gaze was hard, evaluating him in a way that felt like his whole life was laid bare at her feet.

"Take Finn for example," She said tilting her head toward the other end of the bar where Finn was taking orders from a young couple. "All that charm, all that good humor, and he's still running..."

"What's he running from?" Poe asked quietly, glancing back toward Maz. 

The woman shrugged. "His childhood? The army? Perhaps he's running to something-"

"Finn was in the military?" Poe asked, temporarily shocked. Finn didn't strike him as the soldier type.

Maz hummed her assent, then turned her attention back to Poe. "You, however.." Poe watched as she stepped up on a box and leaned over the bar until they were almost nose to nose. "When I look at you, I see the eyes of someone who has had one too many heartbreaks."

Poe swallowed thickly. Watching this woman, this complete stranger, guess at his life story was surreal. Almost like a dream. 

"You'll start on the shelves in the office-" She clipped, her tone indicating the matter was settled. "I'll have a list of projects for you by the time you finish and you can eat on the house for the rest of your stay."

Before Poe could muster a protest, the woman shuffled off, speaking to a few patrons here and there before disappearing into a back room. Coming back to himself, Poe realized his mouth was still gaping, and he shut it with a snap. 

He finished his dinner, which by now had gone cold. His mind reeling from the revelations Maz had provided, as well as dehydration. A part of his brain was trying to convince him that Maz was some sort of psychic, or maybe a witch. No one should be able to guess life secrets like that, no matter how old they were. Then he thought about how it'd be nice for a little manual labor to distract him, and he decided that if Maz was a witch, at least she was a beneveloent one.

He glanced down the bar at Finn who caught his eyes with a grin. Poe smiled back, thinking maybe they had more in common than he thought. 

 

 

***

 

 

Rey was on her way to the bathroom when she heard quiet, angry voices coming from a room that looked to be a home office. She shouldn’t eavesdrop, she knows she shouldn't eavesdrop, but her curiosity won out as she recognized Han’s low mutter.

“Snoke is using you-” Han sounded like he was pleading and Rey pressed herself a little closer to wall. “Once he has what he wants, he’ll drop you. You know I’m right.”

"It’s too late." Ben whispered back, though he didn’t sound angry, just bitter. "I signed a three book contract."

Rey heard movement and peeked around the doorway to see Han taking a step closer to his son.

“No, it’s not,” Han implored. “We’ll work with your agent, find a loophole. You can come home, you’re back and forth enough as it is-”

Ben cut him off. “Because I _have_ to be. She’s been in remission for less than three weeks, someone has to be here. It sure as hell isn’t going to be you.”

Rey closed her eyes, absorbing the blow on behalf of Ben’s father.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Han’s voice dropped dangerously.

Ben’s tone echoed his father’s. “You know exactly what I mean.”

“You got something to say, just say it.”

Rey’s heart stopped, realizing she was listening in on an extremely private conversation. She needed to walk away before she heard anything else, or worse, before she got caught.

“Alright, fine-” Ben scoffed. "Every day, I ask myself what she could have possibly seen in you. Why on earth she stays with you after all the stunts you’ve pulled...”

Ben’s voice continued to rise and a combination of fear and curiosity kept Rey rooted to the spot. “And I can't come up with an answer, it doesn't make any sense, because no one in their right mind would ever willingly depend on you-”

His words cracked like a whip, and Rey realized she didn't care if she was found out. She didn’t want to hear anymore. Moving quickly across the hall, she arrived at the bathroom door just as Ben stormed out of the office. He gave her one scathing look before disappearing around the corner.

Han didn’t follow him.

Rey locked the door behind her and leaned heavily against the counter. She couldn’t understand, couldn’t process the horrible things Ben had said to his father.

_His father._

What sort of awful person would say things like that to someone who loved them? Because Ben’s parents did love him. Rey could see it in every teasing smile, every lingering pat on the back, every term of endearment. She recognized the evidence of love, because it had been absent from her life for as long as she could remember.

Taking a steadying breath, Rey rubbed her eyes in frustration, her need to use the toilet completely forgotten. Whatever fondness she had been feeling toward Ben disappeared. In fact, she had no desire to ever speak with him again.

Checking her reflection in the mirror, Rey smoothed her hair and cleaned up underneath her eyes. She hadn’t realized, but a few stray tears had spilled down her cheeks. Once she was presentable, she pulled open the bathroom door and headed back down the hall toward the living area. It was getting late, and all Rey wanted to do now, was crawl into bed.

It was just Leia and Lando on the sofas, Han and Ben nowhere in sight.

“I think I better be going,” Rey said, trying to keep her voice even. She grabbed her purse from the back of the chair and tried to avoid meeting their stares, convinced her eyes would betray her. 

“Where’s Ben?” Leia asked, looking around the house. “I’ll have him walk you-”  
  
“No!” Rey interrupted, her tone a little more forceful than it needed to be. “No really, it’s fine.”  
  
Lando gave her a knowing look but didn’t comment. Leia made to stand, probably to see her out the door but Rey just wanted to escape.  
  
“No, don’t get up” She sputtered, retreating as fast as possible without being rude. “I’ll let myself out. Thank you again, I had a wonderful evening.”  
  
Leia blinked a few times in confusion but Rey didn’t linger. Turning quickly, she fled the house before anyone could ask her what was wrong. Careful not to slam the door behind her, Rey made her way down the front walk, the gravel crunching under her sneakers. 

"I'm sorry you had to hear that." A voice, _his voice_ , spoke from the shadows overlooking the cliff side.

"You shouldn't be apologizing _to me_ -" Rey spat before she could stop herself. 

Ben pushed himself off the garden wall, staring at her condescendingly. "You don't know-"

"I know everything I need to know about you," Rey interrupted, absolutely no desire to listen to a word he had to say. Turning on her heel, she sped down the street back toward her temporary home, thinking vacation Rey had definitely immersed herself in the wrong family. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone! first off thanks for your patience.. i know it's been a minute since i updated but of course my brain decides to lose all creative motivation after i commit to writing a 15+ chapter fic in two months. i have been writing though and i have a rough draft of the entire story so hopefully i can update quickly over the next couple weeks and get this thing wrapped up by new years
> 
> secondly, thank you so much for your comments on the last chapter. i am not over exaggerating when i say that they overwhelmed me in the best way possible. i promise to respond to everyone. in the meantime, please keep them coming <33 i love hearing your reactions.
> 
> thirdly, here is a shameless plug that you can find me on [tumblr](prinecessleia.tumblr.com) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/prinecss_leia) please come say hi!
> 
> fourth and finally, this chapter got heavy real quick but it will not stay that way. this is a rom com. i swear.
> 
> NOTES:  
> [Pacific Ocean temp in December is on average 60 degrees (which is f*cking cold)](http://www.surf-forecast.com/breaks/Malibu_1/seatemp)  
> [Knights of the Old Republic is a Star Wars video game](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars:_Knights_of_the_Old_Republic)  
> [Darth Revan](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Revan) and [Bastila Shan](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Bastila_Shan)  
> i'm basing a lot of this on my own family dynamic... ben is constantly chopping vegetables because whenever i go home to visit, my mom always makes me chop the veggies for dinner because she hates to do it. also, my 6'4" brother always gets his food last because he eats three times as much as everyone else and if he went first then there would be no food for the rest of us.
> 
> don't forget to subscribe for update notifications!!! love you guys and thanks for reading!   
>  ~~jfc my chapter notes were almost as long as the chapter~~

**Author's Note:**

> find me @prinecssleia on tumblr. requests always open <33


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